Concealed Admiration
by Silver Aikie Hizakagi
Summary: Invisible is a word that describes the unseen, a word identical to indiscernible – the most excellent word to portray their bond. For what she knew, he can't see her wanting him the way he wants that girl . . . yet he was everything to her.


**Disclaimer: **Dear readers if The Prince of Tennis was mine – then it wouldn't be this successful. Prince of Tennis is a work of art by Takeshi Konomi – I salute him. I don't own anything here, just the plot and twisted grammar.

**Summary:** Invisible is a word that describes the unseen, a word identical to indiscernible – the most excellent word to portray their bond. For she only desired to show him, that the girl he's admiring doesn't even know him. For what she knew, he can't see her wanting him the way he wants that girl . . . yet he was everything to her.

**Hizakagi:** *dark aura*

**Aikie: ***hiding* We're sorry Hizakagi-chan! We didn't mean to! TTwTT

**Silver:** *sighs* This is what you get for making her angry.

**Created By:** Hizakagi Tsukikiji

**Concealed Admiration**

She remembered. . . as she sauntered her way through the ironic crowd, the deafening whispers were perceived, the sharp looks never failed to stab her . . .Though no deceitfulness as a crime were involved, yet the way she was treated envisaged it, she was a scarlet letter to all and sundry. She felt in the veins of every step she moved – all that is lost, her everything – in the hands of another.

It ensued swiftly like a stroke of lightning . . . that bitter day with which she despised the golden sun for radiating and the zephyr for provoking her to amble at what she deemed as the place of sorrow . . . Taking the weight off her feet thru the bench noticed, she clutched her chest, and the torrent of painful reminiscences started after eight whole years. . .

"_I'm sorry" a low voice apologized_

_Puffed eyes and trembling voice, "H-How could you? YOU USED ME!" she shouted and slapped the person in front of her._

_They were surrounded by a one-sided crowd that was clearly against her . . . Devastated by what she did to their so called prince._

Silver tears fell from her traitorous eyes down to her crimson cheeks as she evoked supplementary recollections of what happened eight years before.

_She was crying her heart out as she saw the person whom she slapped being dragged away by the purported partner of that prince. And what hurt her more was when she saw how he never intended to struggle from his princess' grasp._

She was inapt from where she was sitting; couples enveloped the whole area . . . she was a withered flower amidst the blooming ones. And yet again, her mind gave her another flashback

_How she wished for someone to take her eyes off of her that moment after seeing how happy he was. It was just a week after their 'break-up'. Now that dreadful view – of the prince walking hand in hand with his __**princess**__ . . . all the while people complimented their wonderful tandem. All the while . . . those people, purposely or not say such praises . . . made her ache inside, her heart . . . crushed in millions . . . billions . . . uncountable pieces._

Her recalls of the precedent was stopped when she felt a foreign force on her shoulder. That same person who caused the intervention of her thoughts notified her to prime herself.

_Walking back to her purported place of sorrow, she sang . . . and everything she felt . . . was within that song. And because of the agonizing panoramas and that harmonious song, the withering flora died . . . and a new flower was born._

She was requested to sing at a prestigious business party of whom she never wanted to know. Removing the coat which concealed her perfect body clad in a white open-shoulder dress with intricate designs of the shades crimson and ebony, the proud young lady stood in front of the industrial crowd . . .

**And the mantra began. . .**

_**She can't see the way your eyes . . . will light up when you smile**_

_**She never notice how you stop and stare . . . whenever she walks by**_

_**And you can't see me wanting you the way you want her**_

_**But you are EVERYTHING TO ME. . .**_

Then an image of that prince flashed inside her. This song . . . after eight years,

_**I just wanna show you, she don't even know you**_

_**She's never gonna love you like I want to**_

_**And you just see right through me, but if you only knew me. . .**_

_**We could be a beautiful, miracle, unbelievable. . . **_

She glanced at the crowd of tycoons who truly empathized her pain. . .

_**Instead of just INVISIBLE . . . **_

She strolled around the minute theatre of the vicinity as she sang her heart out,

_**There's a fire inside of you, that can't help but shine through**_

_**She's never gonna see the light . . . no matter what you do**_

_**And all I think about is how to make you think of me**_

_**And everything that we could be. . .**_

She felt herself tense for some reason, this sole feeling which she only felt . . . when he was around. And then, her eyes betrayed her again

_**I just wanna show you, she don't even know you**_

_**She's never gonna love you like I want to**_

_**And you just see right through me, but if you only knew me. . .**_

_**We could be a beautiful, miracle, unbelievable. . . **_

_**Instead of just INVISIBLE . . . **_

Glistening tears were viewed by trade leaders as they heed the excruciating yet harmonious cry of the siren in front of them. Sympathy enveloped their being as she reaches the crucial fraction of her melody. . .

_**Like shadows in a faded light . . . Oh we're invisible**_

_**I just wanna open your eyes . . . and make you realize . . .**_

It was then, when she noticed the steady stream her eyes were producing, but she didn't care. She looked up at what she can conclude as . . . a crowd of understanding.

_**I just wanna show you, she don't even know you**_

_**Baby let me love you, let me want you. . .**_

_His smirk, "Tch, mada mada dane, Ryuzaki."_

_**You just see right through me, but if you only knew me. . .**_

_**We could be a beautiful, miracle, unbelievable. . . **_

_**Instead of just INVISIBLE . . . **_

_**Ohoh . . . yeah. . .**_

_**She can't see the way your eyes . . . will light up when you smile. . .**_

She bowed as a sign of the end of her presentation; and was taken aback once she saw everyone flabbergasted, fear crept into her as she thought of a reason why these people acted that way. But everything was washed away when someone from somewhere in that environs applauded. She strived to distinguish who that one person was who made the others give her a round of applause. She sighed as a sign of defeat and descended from the elevated theatrical place.

She looked up and saw her manager . . . the person that always understood her who happens to be her grandmother too.

"You did great my dear. Come with me and meet the organizer of this party." The old woman guided

She nodded as a response and made her way through the throng of tycoons flattering her. She expressed her greatest gratitude to these people through curtsies and smiles.

"Dear, this party was made for you" the old lady confessed

"W-what?" she stuttered

"It is for him. . . " she guided her granddaughter to a man a few meters away from them.

**A man known for his talent in tennis**

**A man known for his wits in the enterprising industry**

**And a man. . .**

The old lady stopped once her grandchild was inches from him, ". . . it's for him to get what he deserves."

**. . . a man known for his failure to see her**

Her porcelain skin started to burn turning to crimson. The man in front of him – clothed with black tux, standing proudly, amber eyes and unruly hair . . . and the ever-fading smirk – held her hands tightly. She tried to pull away, however she knew she was caged . . . she hid her facade through her auburn locks. _"Deserve?"_ she thought.

In an instant . . . she found herself carried by the man and was on his way to where she performed. "P-put me down!" she ordered, but it just fell on deaf ears. The buzzing crowd was silenced when they reached the stage. He placed her down near him, and took the microphone.

"This lady. . ." he started, "suffered from what can be called public humility. Despised by the crowd and abandoned by her friends. She endured too much from her past, and the one to be blamed . . ." he looked at her with earnest eyes, "is me."

Her eyes widened as she thought of excuses . . . of reasons to convince herself that **THIS IS NOT** the prince who obliterated her. But the stare of this young man, proved her wrong. . .

"I already had her, but I was too much of an idiot and let her go, replaced her with another . . . and what's worse was, I used her to get that another." He felt a gentle tug on his tux and saw her, pleading for him to stop.

And he obeyed, but before he surrendered from her looks, he said. . . "She opened my eyes, made me realize what I've done wrong. . ." he turned to face her, ". . . and now I wish to have her back."

She felt as if the whole world gratefully depended on her, that her decision is the universal solution. If this is all what human beings call a dream . . . a fantasy, then she wishes not to wake up no more. Then her vision started to blur . . . and she collapsed on the cold floor.

"Dear?"

"Sakuno wake up!"

"RYUZAKI!"

Sakuno Ryuzaki fluttered her eyes upon hearing the resonance of anxiety from that specific voice. Her vision was slowly sharpening. She sat up but was almost out of balance, when strong arms held her and sat her properly.

"Oi, careful" Ryoma Echizen murmured, the tone of worry was still perceivable.

She batted her eyes slowly, "W-where am I?" she asked, her mind seemed to have rested with her for it didn't give her the flashbacks she needed to cope up with what was happening.

Tomoka cuddled her best friend tightly, "You passed out after writing that short story of yours about a girl struggling from what you said as 'scarlet letter' something like that."

A displeased voice was singing, "I juuustt waaannaa show youuu! Baby let me looovee youuu! Let me waaannt youu!"

"OI HORIO YOU'VE BEEN PLAYNG THAT SONG OVER AND OVER AGAIN! COULD YOU STOP IT FOR A MOMENT?" Katchiro and Katsuo pleaded.

"Urusai! Fffusshh. . ." A guy with green bandana hissed

"You shouldn't force yourself too much Ochibiko! You got us all worried!" a guy with scarlet and wavy hair prompted once he viewed her.

One with brushed-up hair and amethyst eyes nodded in agreement, "And you made that guy over there, worry the most. You're troublesome you know? Really troublesome." he pointed to their youngest member.

The taunts did not stop there, from behind was a lad with semi-closed eyes and light auburn hair, "Saa, if only you saw his face when you were rushed in here." He chuckled melodiously

"Priceless" another member uttered as he mercilessly scribbled down on his emerald notebook of the umpteenth volume.

Their vice captain and another calm member endeavored to impede their teammates from their teasing. Yet when a stray racket was held by the calm member, he altered to the exact opposite of his previous features and fired up what is to be called one of the extreme chaffs which made not only the girl flustered but also their pillar of support. "OH YEAH BABY! THAT FACE! THE FACE OF AGONY THAT RYMA HAD! WOOOH PRICELESS!"

But when the emperor cleared his throat each person inside that room stiffened from their current position. He slanted his specs to his comfort, "20 laps around the school"

"A-around the school?" the cat and the porcupine chorused, but they were only given a glance as an answer. And that was enough to make them start the punishment. The pillar of support was near the exit of the room, when he stopped him.

"Nani?" he enquired the tall man.

"Stay" the tall man said, or rather ordered and walked off to observe their other colleagues.

When the door closed, only two individuals were left inside.

"A-ano. . ."

The prince gazed at the serene face from where the resonance came from and gave her the baffled look.

To see him in this proximity, the butterflies inside her stomach of which she thought were long gone along with what she considered as withered affection after two years. . . began to flutter inside. She hid her face through her loosened tresses and worded, "S-shouldn't you be with Miaki-chan?" she asked, referring to the schools' Tennis No Hime-sama. It was rumored that the two of them – Ouji-sama and Hime-sama of Tennis, had this so called mutual understanding.

"What?" he asked back, with a hoisted eyebrow. Seeing no reply, he sighed and did the unexpected.

It seemed that the god or goddess of time was playing a trick on her, and so was Cupid. She felt his strong arm slither to her waist . . . tightening its grip whilst the other held her chin and lifted her to face him. She pried her mouth to utter a word – any word would do, but nothing came out. When she saw that genuine grin of his once again, she obtained the vigor to speak, "S-she would get mad at me if she hears that you're with me."

"And why is that?" he rose in a husky tone, draining the girl's ability to respond. "Why would. . ." he intertwined his fingers with the girl's and gazed at her with an expression she'd never seen, ". . . she be mad?"

"E-eto . . . b-because, sh-she's your . . ."

"I've seen this school evolve in a university, I've been here for two years, geez I'm already 15." He simply sneered at the mystified flower in front of her, he broke his left arm from being intertwined and lifted her chin, "And I am not a fool to not know who my partner is."

_**We are now a beautiful, miracle, unbelievable. . . instead of just invisble**_

d(O.O)b

**Silver:** *dumbfounded* H-Hizakagi this is deep O.o

**Aikie:** *standing behind Silver* P-please don't get mad anymore! TTwTT we didn't mean to eat your parfait!

**Hizakagi: ***dark aura flares even brighter*

**Silver and Aikie: ***runs for their lives*

**All three (while chasing after one another):** **Read and Review Minna-san!**


End file.
